What You're Eating May Be Jacking Up Your Face

Before your reach for that second cookie (or pour another glass of
wine), consider this: Your diet may be affecting more than your weight
and health, it could be ruining your skin, too. How? It's all detailed in a new book, Younger Skin Starts in the Gut, out in March 2016, from Dr. Nigma Talib, a London-based naturopathic doctor and skincare specialist.

Not
only does she claim she can distinguish which foods someone overeats
based on their complexion, but she's even come with names for each
not-so-healthy look, including "wine face," "dairy face," and so on.
Curious
if you have one of these "faces"? Dr. Talib has created handy visual
aids to help you figure it out. We also chatted with her to find out
ways to combat these annoying skin problems — and get a healthier
complexion.

Courtesy of Ulysses Press

Wine Face

There are plenty of benefits of drinking red wine — in moderation, that is. Just as red wine can stain your teeth and mess with your mouth, it can lead to your skin looking ruddy and lined.

​What It Means: "On
top of the fact that it's full of sugar — as well as potentially
pesticides and sulphites — wine causes dehydration," Dr. Talib told ​Good Housekeeping​
. She adds: Your body loses water, your liver is overworked, and your
digestion can go "haywire" the day after indulging, leading your skin to
look wrinkly, ruddy, and saggy.

Even worse than the short term
effects: If you drink excessively on a regular basis, Dr. Talib warns
that you can disrupt your gut's bacteria, leading it to be potentially
pathogenic, meaning it can cause diseases. In short, drinking a fourth
glass of wine multiple times per week just isn't worth it.

So, how much wine ​is​
safe for your skin — and how can you get rid of these symptoms? "I
recommend taking a break from alcohol for three weeks," she advises.
After that, Dr. Talib suggests living an "80:20 life," where you have a
glass or two of wine 20% of the time, but totally abstain from booze the
other 80%.

Courtesy of Ulysses Press

Dairy Face

​The Symptoms​
Swollen eyelids, under eye bags, darkness under the eyes, widespread
acne and blemishes, pale cheeks, and concentrated pimples on the chin.

​What It Means​
Putting an extra splash of milk in your coffee or adding just one more
scoop of ice cream to your sundae may be tempting, but Dr. Talib warns
that it can seriously upset your complexion
— even if you're not lactose intolerant.

"As you get older, you lose
the enzymes that let you properly digest lactose," says Talib.

This
leads to inflammation all over your body, including your face, which can
appear tired and red.
If your face is starting to appear swollen
and sleepy, and your skin looks dull and bumpy, Talib recommends taking a
break from dairy all together for a few weeks to see how different your
complexion can look.

Courtesy of Ulysses Press

Sugar Face

​The Symptoms​
Lines and wrinkles on the upper forehead, sagging under the eyes,
widespread blemishes and pustular or cystic acne, gaunt appearance,
thinning of the skin, dark gray or pasty white hue to the complexion.

​What It Means​
It's no secret that consuming a bunch of sugar on a regular basis can
wreak havoc on your weight, energy, and overall health, but it can also
mess with your skin. Sugar leads to glycation, a process in which excess
glucose molecules cling to your collagen, distorting it and leading it
to be stiff.

If you really want amazing skin
and you're sick of seeing all those spots and fine lines, we've got bad
news for you.

"I recommend avoiding sugar as much as possible — there's
nothing nutritious about it," says Talib, but adds that it's okay
"every now and then, in moderation." Key word: moderation.

Courtesy of Ulysses Press

Gluten Face

​The Symptoms​
Blemishes across the forehead, puffy cheeks and jowls and a bloated
appearance to your face, redness and/or red sports on the cheeks, blemishes or darkened patches on the chin.

​What It Means​
​That's right: There's another reason gluten might be taking your body
for a rough ride.​ While relatively few people have coeliac disease, an
autoimmune disorder that leads to the body to attack itself when gluten
enters the system, Dr. Talib says that many are still sensitive to
gluten.

"Gluten causes a leaky gut, and leads to your inflammatory
cytokines acting up in a cascade of systemic inflammation," warns
Talib.

This reaction leads to your skin cells producing pigmentation,
which is why you can develop dark patches and spots. If you're sick of
unevenness in your complexion, especially around your chin, Talib
advises removing gluten from your diet all together.